They Were Divided - Miklos Banffy [136]
In the Kukullo valley the villages were so close together that it seemed that each one started where the last left off. The next on their route was Gyalfalva where the manor house belonged to Pityu Kendy. They reached it after a drive that took only a few minutes despite the fact that the road was crowded with pedestrians, many of them young men, girls and children and all of them from Kis-Fuzes, who were hurrying along as merrily as if they were on their way to a country market or a travelling circus.
The village street of Gyalfalva was no less crowded and everyone smiled and waved at the car’s passengers, assuming, no doubt, that they were all bound for the same festive destination. Held up by this happy crowd Balint’s car crept along until it was nearly opposite the entrance to Pityu’s house. Here, in the curve of the wooden palisade that flanked the gates to the Kendy manor, the crowd was so thick that they were forced to a halt. The chauffeur sounded his horn and the crowd at once gave way, but not along the road, only towards the Kendy gates. The drive started to explain that they were on their way to Dicso only to be faced by Pityu Kendy himself, dressed in a leather jacket and fur cap, who ran to the car, and shook hands with Balint and Kozma, crying, ‘You can’t shame me by passing my door and not coming in!’ and went on to explain what was happening.
What he said was far from clear. Today, he declared, was a great day, an important day, which was why he had invited so many people. In fact he had invited everyone he knew, including Balint and Kozma. Hadn’t they had his letter, he asked, and then answered himself saying that of course they had not been at home, but that he had written. Balint enquired what it was all about, and Pityu explained that it had all been in the letter. He had, he said eagerly, condemned Brandy to death and today was the great day when the Court would pronounce sentence; now, in a quarter of an hour, the Court would be in session. They were only waiting for Balint’s arrival, and that was why he had been at the gates, because he had heard they were in the district and was on the look-out for them.
Brandy? Court? Pronounce sentence? Balint and Kozma were still as much in the dark as if Pityu had never launched into his breathless attempt at explanation. All the same it was now clearly impossible to continue on their way without stopping, all the more so because at that moment some of the other guests came crowding out of the gates, among them the two young Laczoks and Zoltan Alvinczy, who at once launched into further explanation telling all over again how Pityu had sentenced Brandy to death, while from the steps of the portico inside old Uncle Ambrus bellowed out, ‘Stop fooling around out there and drive that spittoon of yours in!’
Balint was in no mood for any sort of party, for his tour of the village Co-operatives had been exceptionally exhausting, involving as it had daily discussions lasting from morning till night. By the time he had got to bed in the evening he had still not had time to read the daily papers, and with the continuing Balkan crisis to worry him – for though it had recently calmed down somewhat, it was still menacing enough – all he wanted to do now was to get home. The idea of this jolly celebration appalled him; but it would have been churlish just to drive on and, besides, Balint had no desire to cause offence.
And so, with his companions, Balint got out of the car and walked up to the house.
The large dining room in the centre of the house was packed with guests. There were the three Kendys, old Daniel, Uncle Ambrus and Joska; Farkas Alvinczy, Kamuthy, and several neighbours including Todorka Racz, all drinking cronies of Pityu’s.
Everyone was in a happy party mood, which had been reinforced by copious draughts of wine and brandy. The dining table was littered with empty and half-empty glasses.
Everyone, too, knew what this feast was about, for Pityu had taken care to explain the joke in detail and in his letters of invitations he had